Meet Rachel Wasserman | Executive Director, Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Wasserman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was raised on a horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky, just five and a half hours up I-75 from Atlanta, where I attended a small, homogenous private school from ages 3-15. In each class, there were only a handful of minorities – Jewish kids, Black kids, Asian kids, and Indian kids who didn’t belong to the elite country club that other students attended – and I grew up with the keen awareness that I was not like the other kids. At the annual holiday concert, they would throw in a Chanukah song to make us feel included, and during Passover, there was sometimes a small basket of matza next to the salad bar, but being Jewish in a Bible Belt city made it necessary for me to spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to belong, to be treated like everyone else, and to honor differences and diversity. My best friends were always the other minority students, and we spent a lot of time honoring each other’s cultures. I have amazing memories of celebrating Chinese holidays with my best friend Helen, and she often accompanied me to synagogue, even though she didn’t understand a word of Hebrew. As teenagers, we ran a diversity club together and piloted a workshop for elementary school students. It was something we discussed regularly, and it flowed into conversations as smoothly as what tests we had coming up and who our favorite celebrities were dating. My mother was always involved in racial equity work, so these discussions began at home and continued wherever I went. Some of my most powerful childhood memories involve me standing up against unjust policies and ideas, such as a racist ballroom dancing school and the idea that my friends’ country club should be allowed to discriminate based on race and religion.

I strongly believe that growing up as a religious minority contributed to my dedication to social justice. Though I grew up incredibly privileged, I identified with being the “other,” and working toward equity and equality has always been a passion and translated seamlessly into the career I have today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My favorite passage in the Torah is, “It is not your duty to finish the work (of perfecting the world) but you are not free to desist from it either.” That passage has been prominently displayed in every office I have occupied, and it is a guiding principle in my career. I believe it is my personal responsibility to make the world a better and more just place, and I have chosen to dedicate my career to “tikkun olam,” the Jewish value of repairing the world.

Looking back, I see the clear path that led me here (Jewish summer camp, followed by time in Israel, after which I was vice president of Brown Hillel, which led me to a year in a service corps, which directly set me on the way to a graduate program in social work and Jewish communal service), and yet at the time, it was one thoughtful decision after another that beautifully came together to bring me to where I am today.

I have known since age 12 that my Jewish values would guide my life and career, and it was at that same age that I became a social activist. Now, 28 years later, I am proud of what I have accomplished thus far, and yet I am motivated and energized by how much more I want to do.

When I arrived in Atlanta 8 years ago, the Jewish Women’s Fund was in its earliest days. Under my leadership, and in collaboration with dedicated lay leaders, philanthropists, and colleagues, we have grown into a thriving, vibrant organization with a national presence as a funder in the Jewish gender equity arena. I have taken my background as a grant writer and used that experience to guide me as a grant maker. I have found that I can relate differently to grantmaking, having been on the other side of the coin, and I am able to speak with potential grantees in a way that demonstrates that and shows compassion and appreciation for their work. This perspective has allowed me to form important relationships with our grantees, and as they are stronger, so are we as funders.

I also love that my career affords me the opportunity to innovate and take risks. We pave our own way, and we consistently implement creative changes and try new things. The possibilities are endless for what we can accomplish.

Social change work takes time, as I often remind people, but luckily, I am a patient person, and I am in this for the long haul. I know that the shifts I want to make within the Jewish community – and within Jewish philanthropy – will not happen overnight. With my dedication and commitment to my Jewish values and principles, I maintain the outlook that I WILL change the world for the better. Through my leadership, I can help others do so as well, and together, we can make even more of an impact than any of us could make alone.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a funny question, given that I have barely left my house in a year!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The beautiful part of Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta is that our grantmaking decisions are made by a collective of female philanthropists (called Trustees) who share a passion for gender equality, and everyone brings different expertise, points of view, and experiences to the table. I not only take pride in the grants we make and the organizations we support, but I also feel incredibly proud of the collaboration and cooperation required to make it happen. I learn, grow, and gain new energy every time we have a grant meeting or discussion, because the energy of the Trustees is contagious. Their leadership, investment, and dedication is what has enabled us to become a force for change, and they are the ones deserving a shout out!

I also want to recognize the nonprofit professionals who are on the ground every day, providing services, piloting programs, and continuing their advocacy, even through the pandemic. We may have the funding, but they are the ones who interact with clients, participants, and policy-makers to facilitate social change and gender equality, and without them, our work couldn’t happen.

Website: https://jwfatlanta.org/

Instagram: @jwfatlanta

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-wasserman-42207b19/

Facebook: @jwfatlanta